“I Amsterdam” Sign Removed, City Wants To Slow Down Tourism

Amsterdam is a popular city to visit. It’s actually so popular when it comes to tourism that the city recently removed a popular sculpture which has been in the same place since 2004.

The “I Amsterdam” has been outside the Rijksmuseum for close to 15 years and Curbed says that “the red and white sculpture has transformed from a public art piece to a frustrating symbol of the city’s thriving tourism economy.”

The sculpture was removed due to a petition from city councilor Femke Roosma. She felt that I Amsterdam was “promoting the wrong vision for the city by attracting mass tourism“.

The letters were removed by a crane and taken away from the city center on a truck. Curbed says that “the message of the dramatic removal is clear: Amsterdam does not want to be an Instagram city.”

Besides removing the sculpture, the city is trying to tame tourism by proposing restrictions on Airbnb and limiting those annoying beer bikes.

I Amsterdam may’ve lost it’s permanent home but the letters will receive some TLC in the form of a restoration. Then it will be moving around the city, making appearances at various events and festivals.